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This is a summary of 1993 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

15 songs reached the number 1 spot this year. Compared to 1992, there was an improvement to singles sales, with sales rising year on year for the first time since 1989. However, none of the singles released this year were million sellers, the first instance of this happening since 1990. The only song to sell over a million in 1993 was one from the previous year, Whitney Houston‘s cover of “I Will Always Love You“. It managed to sell sufficiently well enough to make its way onto the top 10 of both 1992 and 1993.

March saw The Bluebells reach number 1 with “Young at Heart”, a song that had previously made number 8 in 1984. It was reissued after appearing in an advert for Volkswagen, and the band reformed to promote the song.

Take That got their first #1 in July, with “Pray”. Debuting in 1991 with the #38 hit “Promises”, they would go on to score another seven number 1s before splitting in 1996. “Pray” was followed by Freddie Mercury scoring a posthumous number 1 with a remixed version of “Living on My Own“, the original version of which made number 50 in 1985, making it the first remix of a previously charted single to reach number 1.

The biggest selling single of the year came from Meat Loaf, who hit #1 for seven weeks from October with “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)“. It came from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, also the biggest selling of the year.

Finally, as usual, December saw the Christmas number one single. Meat Loaf’s successor at number 1 was Mr. Blobby, a popular character on the BBC One show Noel’s House Party, with “Mr. Blobby” (the first ever eponymously titled number 1 single). In the final week before Christmas, he was knocked off by Take That’s “Babe”, making Mr. Blobby the first one-week #1 since U2‘s “The Fly” in November 1991, and making Take That the first act to have three singles in a row all enter at #1. However, the following week (Christmas week) saw Mr. Blobby climb back up to the top, the first time this had happened since January 1969, and officially become this year’s Christmas number 1. Take That’s “Babe” became the only chart topper of the year to spend only a week at the summit.

In the classical world, the British composer Michael Nyman enjoyed great success with his soundtrack for the film The Piano, which brought him an Ivor Novello Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and American Film Institute award; the album sold over three million copies. Veteran Welsh composer Daniel Jones died. A less well-known composer, Peter Reynolds, won notoriety when his three-minute work Sands of Time was performed in Cardiff city centre; it is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s shortest opera.

• 11 February – Still Sorrowing for piano by Thomas Adès is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room by the composer.
• 19 February – Elton John is forced to end a concert in Melbourne, Australia a half hour early when a swarm of grasshoppers invades the stage.
• 27 March – Sands of Time, a short (four minutes long) opera by Welsh composer Peter Reynolds, libretto by Simon Rees, has its world premiere at an outdoor shopping centre in Cardiff, sung by soprano Rhian Owen and baritone Dominic Burns.
• 16 April – Paul McCartney headlines a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, USA to celebrate “Earth Day“. Other performers included Ringo Starr, Steve Miller and Don Henley.
• 21 April – Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman marries designer Suzanne Accosta in France.^[1]
• 22 April – The Who’s Tommy opens on Broadway.
• 7 May – The premiere of Harrison Birtwistle‘s Five Distances for Five Instruments, takes place in London at the Purcell Room, performed by the Ensemble intercontemporain.
• 31 May – Oasis force their way on to the bill at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow. Alan McGee is in attendance, and then offers the band a recording contract on the spot.
• 5 June – premiere of Jonathan Harvey‘s Inquest of Love at the London Coliseum.
• 28 August – Bruce Dickinson plays his final show with Iron Maiden after announcing his departure from the band earlier in the year. He would rejoin the band in 1999.
• 7 September – Berthold Goldschmidt‘s 12 minute orchestral work Ciaconna Sinfonica is performed for the first time in the UK by Simon Rattle at the Proms. The 90 year-old composer, resident in London since 1935, takes a bow at the end.
• 22 October – Oasis sign a recording contract with Creation Records
• Rick Astley retires from the music industry at age 27 after selling 40 million records in a five-year period.

Chart date (week ending)	Song	Artist(s)	Sales
2 January	“I Will Always Love You“	Whitney Houston	180,795
9 January			82,620
16 January			61,000
23 January			52,000
30 January			50,000
6 February			44,000
13 February	“No Limit“	2 Unlimited	51,000
20 February			65,000
27 February			68,000
6 March			53,000
13 March			57,000
20 March	“Oh Carolina“	Shaggy	64,000
27 March			67,000
3 April	“Young at Heart“	The Bluebells	67,000
10 April			74,000
17 April			64,000
24 April			48,000
1 May	Five Live	George Michael & Queen with Lisa Stansfield	73,000
8 May			93,000
15 May			64,000
22 May	“All That She Wants“	Ace of Base	92,000
29 May			104,000
5 June			84,000
12 June	“(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You“	UB40	77,000
19 June			84,000
26 June	“Dreams“	Gabrielle	75,000
3 July			71,000
10 July			67,000
17 July	“Pray“	Take That	82,000
24 July			60,000
31 July			54,000
7 August			49,000
14 August	“Living on My Own“	Freddie Mercury	48,000
21 August			57,000
28 August	“Mr. Vain“	Culture Beat	50,000
4 September			77,000
11 September			64,000
18 September			54,000
25 September	“Boom! Shake the Room“	DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince	52,000
2 October			56,000
9 October	“Relight My Fire“	Take That featuring Lulu	90,000
16 October			58,000
23 October	“I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)“	Meat Loaf	55,000
30 October			83,000
6 November			88,000
13 November			80,000
20 November			72,000
27 November			63,000
4 December			53,000
11 December	“Mr. Blobby“	Mr. Blobby	69,000
18 December	“Babe“	Take That	133,000
25 December	“Mr. Blobby”	Mr. Blobby	99,000

Chart date (week ending)	Album	Artist(s)
2 January	Greatest Hits: 1965–1992	Cher
9 January
16 January
23 January	Live/The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs	Genesis
30 January
6 February	Jam	Little Angels
13 February	Pure Cult	The Cult
20 February	Words of Love	Buddy Holly & The Crickets
27 February	Walthamstow	East 17
6 March	Diva	Annie Lennox
13 March	Are You Gonna Go My Way	Lenny Kravitz
20 March
27 March	Their Greatest Hits	Hot Chocolate
3 April	Songs of Faith and Devotion	Depeche Mode
10 April	Suede	Suede
17 April	Black Tie White Noise	David Bowie
24 April	Automatic for the People	R.E.M.
1 May	Cliff Richard – The Album	Cliff Richard
8 May	Automatic for the People	R.E.M.
15 May	Republic	New Order
22 May	Automatic for the People	R.E.M.
29 May	Janet	Janet Jackson
5 June
12 June	No Limits	2 Unlimited
19 June	What’s Love Got to Do with It	Tina Turner
26 June	Emergency on Planet Earth	Jamiroquai
3 July
10 July
17 July	Zooropa	U2
24 July	Promises and Lies	UB40
31 July
7 August
14 August
21 August
28 August
4 September
11 September	Music Box	Mariah Carey
18 September	Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell	Meat Loaf
25 September	In Utero	Nirvana
2 October	Bat out of Hell II: Back Into Hell	Meat Loaf
9 October	Very	Pet Shop Boys
16 October	Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell	Meat Loaf
23 October	Everything Changes	Take That
30 October	Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell	Meat Loaf
6 November
13 November
20 November	Both Sides	Phil Collins
27 November	Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell	Meat Loaf
4 December
11 December
18 December
25 December

^[2]

No.	Title	Artist	Peak position
1	“I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”	Meat Loaf	1
2	“(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love with You”	UB40	1
3	“All That She Wants”	Ace of Base	1
4	“No Limit”	2 Unlimited	1
5	“Dreams”	Gabrielle	1
6	“Mr Blobby”	Mr Blobby	1
7	“Oh Carolina”	Shaggy	1
8	“What Is Love”	Haddaway	2
9	“Mr. Vain”	Culture Beat	1
10	“I Will Always Love You”	Whitney Houston	1
11	Five Live (EP)	George Michael and Queen with Lisa Stansfield	1
12	“Young at Heart”	The Bluebells	1
13	“Tease Me”	Chaka Demus & Pliers	3
14	“Babe”	Take That	1
15	“Please Forgive Me”	Bryan Adams	2
16	“Boom! Shake the Room”	Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince	1
17	“Informer”	Snow	2
18	“Pray”	Take That	1
19	“Sweat (A La La La La Long)”	Inner Circle	3
20	“Living on My Own”	Freddie Mercury	1
21	“What’s Up?”	4 Non Blondes	2
22	“The Key The Secret”	Urban Cookie Collective	2
23	“Don’t Be a Stranger”	Dina Carroll	3
24	“It Keeps Rainin’ (Tears from My Eyes)”	Bitty McLean	2
25	“Two Princes”	Spin Doctors	3
26	“Little Bird“/”Love Song for a Vampire”	Annie Lennox	3
27	“The River of Dreams”	Billy Joel	3
28	“Relight My Fire”	Take That featuring Lulu	1
29	“True Love”	Elton John and Kiki Dee	2
30	“The Love I Lost”	West End featuring Sybil	3
31	“Twist and Shout”	Chaka Demus & Pliers featuring Jack Radics and Taxi Gang	3[a]
32	“Give It Up”	The Good Men	5
33	“For Whom the Bell Tolls”	Bee Gees	4
34	“Right Here”	SWV	3
35	“Mr. Loverman”	Shabba Ranks	3
36	“Moving On Up”	M People	2
37	“U Got 2 Let the Music”	Cappella	2
38	“Exterminate!”	Snap! featuring Niki Haris	2
39	“Deep”	East 17	5
40	“When I’m Good and Ready”	Sybil	5
41	“Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)”	Sub Sub featuring Melanie Williams	3
42	“One Night in Heaven”	M People	6
43	“That’s the Way Love Goes”	Janet Jackson	2
44	“It’s Alright”	East 17	5[b]
45	“Tribal Dance”	2 Unlimited	4
46	“Go West”	Pet Shop Boys	2
47	“Are You Gonna Go My Way”	Lenny Kravitz	4
48	“She Don’t Let Nobody”	Chaka Demus & Pliers	4
49	“Why Can’t I Wake Up with You”	Take That	2
50	“Give In to Me”	Michael Jackson	2

^[3]

No.	Title	Artist	Peak position
1	Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell	Meat Loaf	1
2	Automatic for the People	R.E.M.	1
3	So Close	Dina Carroll	2
4	Everything Changes	Take That	1
5	One Woman: The Ultimate Collection	Diana Ross	1
6	So Far So Good	Bryan Adams	1
7	Promises and Lies	UB40	1
8	Both Sides	Phil Collins	1
9	Zooropa	U2	1
10	Music Box	Mariah Carey	1
11	Pocket Full of Kryptonite	Spin Doctors	2
12	Ten Summoner’s Tales	Sting	2
13	End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits	Wet Wet Wet	4[c]
14	Elegant Slumming	M People	2
15	Duets	Elton John	5
16	Unplugged	Eric Clapton	2
17	Are You Gonna Go My Way	Lenny Kravitz	1
18	The One Thing	Michael Bolton	4
19	Take That & Party	Take That	2
20	Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits	Bette Midler	3
21	Debut	Björk	3
22	Connected	Stereo MCs	2
23	Janet	Janet Jackson	1
24	Keep the Faith	Bon Jovi	5[d]
25	Emergency on Planet Earth	Jamiroquai	1
26	Diva	Annie Lennox	1
27	Unplugged…and Seated	Rod Stewart	2
28	What’s Love Got to Do with It	Tina Turner	1
29	Very	Pet Shop Boys	1
30	3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of…	Arrested Development	3
31	River of Dreams	Billy Joel	3
32	The Red Shoes	Kate Bush	2
33	No Limits	2 Unlimited	1
34	Dangerous	Michael Jackson	6[e]
35	Duets	Frank Sinatra	5
36	Gold: Greatest Hits	ABBA	9[f]
37	Walthamstow	East 17	1
38	Stars	Simply Red	11[g]
39	The Hits 2	Prince	5
40	“The Spaghetti Incident?”	Guns N’ Roses	2
41	So Natural	Lisa Stansfield	6
42	Ingénue	k.d. lang	3
43	Bat Out of Hell	Meat Loaf	15[h]
44	A Touch of Music in the Night	Michael Crawford	12
45	Suede	Suede	1
46	In Utero	Nirvana	1
47	Republic	New Order	1
48	Rage Against the Machine	Rage Against the Machine	17
49	The Album	Cliff Richard	1
50	Duran Duran	Duran Duran	4

^[4]

No.	Title	Peak position
1	The Bodyguard Original Soundtrack	1
2	Now 26	1
3	The Best Dance Album in the World… Ever!	1
4	Blues Brother Soul Sister Vol. 2	1
5	Now 24	1
6	100% Dance	1
7	Now 25	1
8	Originals	1
9	Best of Dance ’93	1
10	100% Dance Vol. 2	1

Notes:

The 1993 BRIT Awards winners were:

• Best British producer: Peter Gabriel
• Best soundtrack: Wayne’s World
• British album: Annie Lennox – Diva
• British breakthrough act: Tasmin Archer
• British female solo artist: Annie Lennox
• British group: Simply Red
• British male solo artist: Mick Hucknall
• British single: Take That – “Could It Be Magic“
• British video: Shakespear’s Sister – “Stay“
• International breakthrough act: Nirvana
• International solo artist: Prince
• International group: R.E.M.
• Outstanding contribution: Rod Stewart

The 1993 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Suede – Suede.

• Stephen Caudel – Edel Rhapsody
• Nicholas Maw – Violin Concerto

• Michael Nyman – Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs

• 12 January – Zayn Malik (One Direction)
• 17 January – Frankie Cocozza, singer
• 13 February – Sophie Evans, Welsh singer and actress
• 8 April – TBJZL, YouTuber and rapper
• 19 June – KSI, YouTuber and rapper
• 5 July – Hollie Cavanagh, English-American singer
• 26 July – Stormzy, rapper
• 29 August – Liam Payne (One Direction)
• 13 September – Niall Horan (One Direction)
• date unknown – Dani Howard, composer

• 23 April – Daniel Jones, composer, 80
• 29 April – Mick Ronson, guitarist (The Spiders from Mars), 46 (cancer)
• 6 May – Ivy Benson, bandleader, 79
• 22 May – Melville Cook, organist, conductor and composer, 80
• 28 May – Duncan Browne, singer-songwriter, 46 (cancer)
• 19 June – Tony Brent, singer, 65 (heart attack)^[5]
• 21 June – Al Fairweather, jazz trumpeter, 66
• 7 August – Roy Budd, jazz pianist and film composer, 46 (brain haemorrhage)
• 11 August – Philip Martell, composer, 86
• 14 September – Peter Tranchell, composer, 71
• 30 September – Ronnie Aldrich, jazz musician, 77
• 11 October – Andy Stewart, singer, 59^[6]
• 9 November – Stanley Myers, film composer, 63 (cancer)^[7]
• 22 November – Anthony Burgess, composer and polymath best known as a novelist, 76
• 28 November – Tommie Connor, songwriter, 89
• 29 November – Alan Clare, jazz pianist and composer, 72
• 6 December – Bryson Graham, rock drummer, 41
• 12 December – Joan Cross, operatic soprano, 93
• 24 December – Ralph Downes, organist and music director, 89

• 1993 in British radio
• 1993 in British television
• 1993 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1993

• BBC Radio 1’s Chart Show
• The Official Charts Company